Sorely Nerdy
by Murasaki09
Summary: Kagome has adapted to life in which she's admired for her intelligence. She has no boyfriend, but has a great family and friends. The only kid she ever liked ended up as a great friend, or so she thought. Modified personal experience. Kagome POV
1. Fatefully Reunited

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha (even if I wish it upon a shooting star). InuYasha does not belong to me, Rumiko Takahashi rightfully owns InuYasha. InuYasha is under license by VIZ in the US, and Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, SUNRISE 2000 in Japan

**SORELY NERDY**

**Ch.1-Fatefully Reunited**

**A/N: Dedicated to all my fellow 'nerds' or just the really smart people. However it is you want to call them. **

Kagome Higurashi, age 16. The sole proof that appearances are deceiving. The nerd who doesn't look like nerd. The girl her teachers confused the first day of school as _not_ being the girl with the perfect score in the entrance exam.

Kagome Higurashi, that's me.

In Primary School I was the geeky girl with the glasses. I had the highest grades, and a perfect score in my final exam during my last year in Primary School.

Being a nerd and all, I surprisingly never received any taunts from anyone, since they were all in 'awe' of my intelligence, although the occasional comical sneer came from the kid I _thought_ I had a crush on.

Okay, I did have a crush on him, but I stopped liking him completely later on and liked him like a very close friend. Our teacher thought teaming up the class nerd and the troublemaker in a 'Create-your-legacy' project would be a good idea. We pretty much had to tell each other _everything_ in order to complete the project.

Being the way that I am, I wasn't about to let him slack off and give me false information; after all, my grade depended on him. Hence the reason to why I spent most of my free time during one week in his house, seeing what he was really like.

The only things that we had left to reveal to each other were secrets. Mine being that I'd had a crush on him, and his…?

I was 12, about to go to Secondary School when my cousin came to visit us.

A lot of people didn't like her, but that's because they didn't know what she was really like. If you spend time with her, like I did in the summer before my first year in Secondary School, you'd find out she's the big sister you wish you had.

That summer, I went through a change. And no, it wasn't because of puberty, it was a 'makeover' from my favorite cousin.

Well, it wasn't much of a makeover, she just convinced my mom to let me wear contacts instead of my glasses with the thick lenses, and gave me a bag with make up.

She told me that it was up to me to decide if I wanted to use the make up and change what I looked like, so she would only show me how to use it if I wanted to.

But you see, she _is_ nice. She wasn't about to force me into wearing it.

I agreed and she showed me what was currently the 'fad' in the United States. She lives there, but my aunt and uncle had decided it would be a good idea to send her to Japan with us for a summer, to get her away from some trouble she'd had with some guy.

My cousin left before the start of my first year in Secondary School, but she'd promised to come back, when she finished High School.

"No one will recognize you. Go ahead and take pleasure in knowing that you shocked everyone by proving that not all nerds are losers and ugly."

I had indeed proved that, not that I agreed with the usual stereotype, but proving it wrong was once of the most memorable moments in my life. The first day of school, with my brand-new uniform, the slightest bit of lip-gloss and blush, eyeliner and new contacts, I was unrecognizable.

So unrecognizable that my best friend's to-be boyfriend mistakenly thought I was the new exchange student. And asked me out. Now that we look back to it, we have a great laugh out of it.

My cousin, Kikyo, is due to come this afternoon, since she has already ended school. Lucky Americans, us Japanese students go to school for about 60 more days than them.

Either way, those extra days will pay off somehow. As of right now, I'm working on keeping my high grades, so I get to be one of the ones with a paid week on the renowned summer campsite. Anyone will be able to attend, but they'll have to pay. Only 10 people from each grade level are getting their whole week paid.

That's reason as to why my friends are studying with me. Which is something they usually try to avoid.

Anyways, my best friend, Sango, and her boyfriend, Miroku, are coming with me when I go meet my cousin at the airport. Mom has some work to do, and Sota is busy because of a soccer game. At 11 years of age, the kid is already the team's captain, and the most popular. I might've gotten the brains, but Sota got the natural popularity.

I don't mind, after all, I'm just a normal 16 year-old-girl who just wishes to do well in school. I don't mind the fact that I've never had a boyfriend. I've been out on dates, sure, but having a boyfriend was never something I took a fancy to.

As I dressed in a skirt and a tank top, I looked at my figure in the mirror. I wasn't ugly. I'd always been complimented on my stunning blue eyes, lean body, and cascade of black hair. Yet there was something that most guys didn't like about me.

The fact that I'm a lot smarter than them.

I sighed and started applying my make up as I killed time until Sango and Miroku arrived.

My first date, with Hojo Awaji in the 8th grade, ended in disaster. It was on the same day that our scores for the Midterms were posted. Hojo didn't seem too happy with the fact that I once again received the highest rank because of my consecutive perfect scores, with him in the second highest rank. During our date, bringing up school was inevitable, hence the reason for our argument and hasty end to our date.

My second date with Koga Kitamura last year wasn't any better. It was the school's Spring Festival, and I accepted Koga's offer, just to see if things would work out between us. He'd constantly been asking me out, but I'd refused since it was obvious that one of my friends liked him. When I finally did go out with him, he left me there after we participated in one of the activities set up in a booth. It hadn't been _my_ idea to participate in a knowledge test; it was _his _idea, since he thought he could actually beat me in it.

Apparently not.

Since then, I abstained from dating, deciding that I would continue getting the highest grades even in High School.

So far, I still rank first.

I had completely finished with my make up when there was a honking noise outside. I grabbed my purse and quickly made sure every door was locked before running down the shrine steps into Miroku's car.

"Hey, Kagome."

"Hi Sango. Good afternoon Miroku."

"Hello, miss. To Tokyo Airlines?"

"Yes, sir!"

We all laughed as Miroku started the car once again and rode on the empty street. Before Sango ever became Miroku's girlfriend, we'd been extremely formal with him. Now, we just joked about it, both of us sometimes acting as if Miroku was our personal chauffeur.

When we arrived at the airport, Sango and Miroku stayed behind in the car while I walked inside to look for my cousin.

According to the screen, her plane was due to arrive in ten minutes, so I decided to walk to the tiny shops they had there as I waited.

I walked up to a magazine stand, and politely asked the young man there to move over so I could get the magazine I'd wanted to buy for a long time. When I grabbed it, the boy next to me moved over completely.

"I would have expected a pretty girl like you to get the one next to it."

I looked up to the magazine I had my hands on, and the one next to it. Okay, I might've not looked like it, but I'm really a big fan of Rock music. I like Pop, but…it doesn't compare to ear-shattering drums, flowing guitar solos, heavy bass lines and the stunning vocals.

"I don't fancy magazines that tell me what I should wear, do and look like."

I turned my head so that I could look at the boy, and man was I shocked.

There he was, my old childhood crush. Looking as handsome as ever, I could tell he didn't recognize me.

Smiling, I held out my hand. "I'm Kagome. Who may you be?"

I could see the confusion in his face; he stared at me before saying, "Kagome? Are you Kagome Higurashi?"

"Bingo! Why, InuYasha Takahashi, I was afraid you wouldn't recognize me!"

"Well, you look…"

"Different?"

"Yeah…"

I smiled as I looked at him closely. Oh, wow. I was not the only one that looked different. He did too. His unusual silver hair had gotten longer with time, his eyes looked as beautiful as ever, and he gained even more muscle than what he'd had before.

Now I remember why I liked him. Along with pretty much every girl in _school_.

"What are you doing here?" I casually asked as we moved over to the cash register where I bought the magazine.

"I'm waiting for my brother. He's coming back from a year in college in California."

"Really? So Sesshomaru really did end up in the United States?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I'm waiting for Kikyo."

"Your cousin?"

"Yeah, school as already ended for her, so she's spending the summer with us."

It felt normal, to be talking casually with him. After I decided I didn't like him in 6th grade, my shyness around him disappeared.

"Is Kikyo on flight A81?"

"Yeah. Is Sesshomaru on that one too?"

"Yes. Why don't we walk towards the gate? I'm pretty sure their plane should be landing soon."

"Okay."

I followed him as we walked in the large multitude. Out of all of Tokyo's male inhabitants, I had to end up with the one that had been my old crush.

Fate? No, just bad luck. What a great reminder of what a loser I was back then.

As we sat, waiting for the plane, we talked as we had before when we were working on our project.

"What High School did you end up in?"

"I go to Shiji. What about you?"

"Nigai. Why would you go to Shiji of all schools? I'm pretty sure you could've even made it to Nigai if you had applied."

"Well…I didn't want to make my mom pay for it, although it had been part of the schools I considered. Besides, both Miroku and Sango were going to Shiji. It was hard enough to make friends once, so I decided to go to Shiji. It's a good school, it took Sango and Miroku a whole month of studying with me to get in."

"Sango and Miroku? And they were studying with you? I don't envy them. You still rank first?"

His comment made me blush somehow, reminding me of how I was really just a nerd deep inside.

"Yeah."

"Have you broken your consecutive perfect scores in midterms and final exams?"

Oh, great. Go ahead and indirectly tease me about being a nerd again.

"Still perfect. I'd have to say, consecutive scores might give me a good academic background, but being so smart seems to scare everyone away."

I probably wasn't going to see him again after this, so why not confide him into my problems? You never know, he could be of help.

"It's reasonable."

I stared at him in wonder. "It is?"

"Yeah, come one, don't tell me you can't figure it out."

I looked at him as he smiled slightly. Now I was curious as to what it was, what he knew that I didn't.

I was about to ask him to tell me when I heard my cousin call my name.

Turning towards the gate, there was my favorite, and only, cousin.

"Kikyo!"

Running up to me, she wrapped her arms around me as she talked on how she was so happy to be here.

Looking over to InuYasha, Kikyo asked, "Hey…isn't that the boy that you-"

Kikyo yelped as I pinched her side. I had always confided her to all my problems, so she knew about the crush I'd had on InuYasha.

"Yes, he's they boy I worked with on that Legacy project. I can't believe you remember about that."

"The legacy project? Oh! Yeah! The Legacy project! I remember about it, having to confide to a stranger for a good grade, right?"

"I'd say, if it hadn't been for that good grade, he probably wouldn't have ended up among the top 10 smartest kids in school."

All three turned of us towards Sesshomaru, who had been standing by us all along.

"Oh, but he's actually really smart. Whenever Hojo was absent, he would be the one that would help me tutor the other kids after school."

"You tutored kids? You always told mom that you were practicing with the kendo team."

"Shut _up_ Sesshomaru."

Kikyo tugged my shirt like a little kid as she 'requested' my attention.

"I'm hungry…let's get going Kagome. I'm anxious to try some real-"

"Japanese food." Sesshomaru finished.

"Exactly."

Sesshomaru turned to InuYasha, with some native plate in mind. "Come on, InuYasha. We have to go to that restaurant owned by Myoga. A 12-hour flight leaves you hungry."

"Sure."

I helped pick up one of Kikyo's suitcases as I said goodbye to the Takahashi brothers.

"It was nice seeing you again, InuYasha. And good luck next year in school, both of you!"

"Same here."

I started walking towards the exit when Kikyo stopped me. I followed her as she walked back to the retreating brothers.

"Wait! That restaurant, does it serve some good noodles?"

"Are you kidding? It serves the best in Japan!"

I noticed how Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at InuYasha's comment. Heh. His favorite food: Noodles. Instant ramen noodles or the freshly made ones, it didn't bother him, as long as they were noodles. Maybe that restaurant owned by Myoga was the one he'd said was his favorite years ago. I think it was called 'The Garden'. Or something like that.

"Where is it?"

We all walked towards the exit together as Kikyo received instructions from InuYasha.

"Wait, by what street?"

"Kikyo, why don't you let him explain the directions to Miroku? I'm sure that after 3 times of hearing them, you won't get it anyways."

She sighed as she said, "Of course. Whatever you say, you _are _the smart one, after all."

"Hm, thanks a lot."

**Next Chapter: Geloise**

**A/N: This is just as short, 3-chapter fic that I'm using to get leveled out with my problems and life. XD**


	2. Geloise

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha (even if I wish it upon a shooting star). InuYasha does not belong to me, Rumiko Takahashi rightfully owns InuYasha. InuYasha is under license by VIZ in the US, and Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, SUNRISE 2000 in Japan.

**SORELY NERDY**

**Ch.2-Gelosie**

When we reached Miroku's car, both Sango and him stepped out of it to greet us and help with the luggage.

"Is that you, InuYasha Takahashi?"

"No, Miroku. I'm just the clone of your old partner in crime."

"Seriously?"

Sango shook her head. "Remind me why I'm his girlfriend?"

"Apart from the obvious reason being that you said yes to him, you are going out with Miroku because you always-"

"Okay, Kagome. I get the point, and it was a rhetorical question."

"I _know_, I'm not-I mean, never mind." Stupid phrase. Lately, everyone seemed to dislike the phrase 'I'm not stupid', at least only when said by me.

Miroku obtained directions to the restaurant and we took off, arriving _after_ InuYasha and Sesshomaru. Despite the fact that we left before them, and that Miroku had the tendency to drive fast.

As we walked in, their voices drifted in from the left side of the restaurant, where they sat in a table set up for 8.

"I would like to know which idiot said you were qualified to drive out in the streets of an over-populated city."

"Certainly not the idiot who agreed to wait for you for a whole year while you partied your ass of in California."

"I did _not_ 'party my ass off' and it's called love, InuYasha. Pity you've only experienced the cheap copy of it: infatuation."

"That's what you think."

"Is it, really? Maybe that's why you only lasted two days with your past girlfriend who happened to be the new exchange student from England."

"I wasn't meaning that, stupid."

"Really? So then it is the girl you mooned over in Primary school? _Primary_ school?"

"Shut up!"

"It is her, right? Who was she anyways? I bet you that right now she's out in a date with her long-time boyfriend. The guy who actually had the guts to confess to her."

"I swear, if you don't shut up, you won't-"

It suddenly seemed that they noticed we were standing by the table, listening to a conversation as good as a soap opera.

Sesshomaru stood up and motioned for us to sit. I was going to sit in the middle chair, facing the wall when Sango beat me to it. On her left side sat Miroku, next to InuYasha who sat in the head of the left side. I moved to the chair on Sango's right, which was next to Sesshomaru's who sat on the side opposite of InuYasha, but Kikyo sat there first.

I noticed that Sesshomaru had obviously 'reserved' the remaining seat next to him for someone, so I had the choice of sitting right in front of Sango in the middle, or next to InuYasha. Deciding I didn't want to have a foot-fight with Sango like last time (despite the fact that we sat in a fancy restaurant, _with_ her parents), I sat next to InuYasha.

Sesshomaru said we would wait, and order once his _girlfriend_ arrived, so we had to end up chatting until she arrived.

"How was Prom, Kikyo?"

Kikyo closed her eyes and sighed heavily as she leaned back in her chair.

"It sucked. Big time. My so-called date cancelled on me hours before, saying he was sick, when in reality he ended up going with some other girl. All my friends were with their dates, so I was alone. My friends made up for it, taking me to dinner with them afterwards, and lending me one of their dates for pictures. It stilled sucked, though."

"So, how was school as a senior?"

Kikyo started conversing with Sesshomaru, leaving me in a conversation between Sango, Miroku and InuYasha.

"How's school?"

Sango smiled brightly. "It's great. Kagome is the best personal tutor. I get tutored, get average grades, and all I have to do is her lend her my father's old CD's. One CD, one week of tutoring."

I blushed slightly. I hadn't made Sango promise not to tell, but I thought I'd been indirectly agreed on. I guess not.

"What CD's?"

"I don't know, she picks them."

They turned towards me, waiting for an answer.

"What? It's not my fault some of them can only be bought for millions of yens." I silently muttered, "Stupid obsession of mine."

"Do you get tutored too, Miroku?"

Miroku shook his head as he messed with the cell phone in his hand.

"I figured. Still have those straight A's _without_ studying?"

I flinched. There you go again, tease me. I'm pretty sure I would do just as good as him if I didn't study, but I'm not about to try. I don't have many things to do, so I study instead.

It's not that I don't have a life; I'm perfectly fine with having to study, and hang out with Miroku and Sango when they're free. Besides, I have half of the hardware in my computer filled with ancient movies and Promotional Videos. What else could I want?

A boyfriend? Yeah, _sure._

"I still have them, but I have a couple of high B's. Kagome doesn't tutor me regularly like Sango, but I sometimes stay during their study sessions. That has gotten me a couple of higher grades on tests."

He put away the cell phone he'd been using, most likely to playing a game.

"Miss Kagome could really be a teacher if she wanted to, but after we took that stupid test in school which gave us a list of careers we are best in, she hasn't considered in since it wasn't in her list."

The Career List. Damn. I hope they don't decide to say anything else about it. I'll have to think of something to say…something.

I flipped through the magazine that I'd left in my tote bag, and stopped when I reached an advertisement for one of my favorite band's singles.

I held it up opened to the page, "Look! New single! Isn't that cool, since they haven't released anything new since Fate in 2005, not counting the single for Drive that was released later."

"You like that band?"

Yes. Mission accomplished. Attention diverted from Career List.

"Are you kidding? Of course I do. They haven't been together for as long as they have for nothing. And before you even say it, no. I don't like the band only because of its lead singer; I like the band because of the music."

I mean, do I look like the type of girl who would only pay attention to the members of a band, and not their music?

"Why else do you think I tutor Sango? Her father has the ultimate ancient CD by them that I was missing. I'm still trying to get a hold of him so that he sells it to me, but he's always busy."

"You wound me Kagome. You mean you only tutor me for a CD?"

At first I thought that Sango really meant it, but after she started laughing, I figured she was kidding.

"I'll get dad to give it to you. I bet you he doesn't even know he has it. I'm pretty sure he even has more than one of it."

I stood up from my chair and bowed as I thanked Sango again and again, a strange habit I'd developed in the past years. I stopped as a voice called from in front of our table.

"You got someone to formally greet us as we arrived, Sesshomaru? How nice of you."

Sesshomaru's girlfriend stood feet behind the space between Sango and Kikyo, wearing what I can only describe as the most elegant clothes ever. Next to her stood a tall young man dressed as equally elegant as her. By their similarities I guessed they were siblings.

Sesshomaru stood up and introduced us to his girlfriend, Kagura, and her brother, Naraku. As they walked to their chairs, I couldn't help but notice how Kagura could actually wear red lipstick without looking like a hooker.

As Naraku sat next to me, I got a good look of his face and remembered something. I knew him.

"Kagome? Are you the same Kagome Higurashi that managed to get her team to win against mine in the mastermind's tournament?"

My head fell slightly as he said that. Would I ever be able to lead a life in which I wouldn't be Kagome Higurashi who did this, Kagome Higurashi who did that…?

"Yes, that would be me."

"You know, I really wanted to win that last game, since it was my last year in school, and everything."

Hm. I don't care. The reason why I even agreed to participate was because I knew we would win, if not I wouldn't have bothered.

"I guess it was because I had to focus more on college entrance exams during the year, so you had an advantage, being a first year student with no college entrance exams to worry about."

HA! Just because I wasn't worrying about entrance exams doesn't mean I had no other things to worry about. Asshole.

Kagura turned towards her brother and said, "Petty excuses. I'm sure the girl is smarter than you, just get over it. She beat your team, which was formerly undefeated. That should tell you something."

Kagura seems fair, I like her.

Since everyone had already arrived, we went ahead and ordered our food. As we waited once again, I noticed Naraku avoided conversing with me. He probably thought I would seem smarter than him, or something. He began talking to Kikyo, which was good since she'd been silent since Kagura starting talking to Sesshomaru.

I had to return to my conversation, which had long ago morphed into something else, with Sango, Miroku and InuYasha.

"…the exchange student form England?"

"I didn't even know she was from England. I thought she was American."

What?

"How can you confuse an English person with an American?"

"I don't know, I figured that if she talked English she was American."

"You do know that not only the United States has English as their main language, right?"

"Of course I do. What, do you think I'm stupid?"

Before I could answer InuYasha's question (most likely rhetorical too), Sesshomaru said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I do."

"Shut up Sesshomaru!"

At that time, our food arrived and our conversations morphed into one. Or more like an interrogation by Sesshomaru.

"So what college do you plan on going to, Kikyo?"

"Hm…I want to take a year off. Vacation here in Japan with my dearest cousin, and then return to the United States. I'm undecided as of yet, but my father suggested that if I like my native land so much, I should probably chose a school here."

Kagura laughed slightly as she said, "Sesshomaru from Japan studies in the United States and Kikyo from the United States wants to study in Japan."

"And you, Naraku?"

"Tokyo University. I already received my acceptance letter. I mailed it early, so I received it early."

Three sentences. While I would've asked something else, Sesshomaru seemed pleased with Naraku's answer and didn't ask anything else.

"And you, kiddies?"

All of us four 'kiddies' grumbled at our label, yet none of us answered.

"I don't know yet."

For some reason, everyone seemed to be chocking on his or her food.

"You don't know yet?"

"Uh...yeah. I don't know yet. I have some in mind, but not a specific one."

What? Just because I'm a total nerd doesn't mean I have my college years planned out. Besides, after going over the careers in my Career List, most of the colleges I had my eye on were completely eradicated from my list. But that doesn't mean I'm about to change my mind.

Miroku spoke up after a silence hung in the air.

"I told you that Career List messed up her mind. Next thing you know, she's going to drop out of school and audition just to be part of Morning Musume's eleventh generation."

Fuck you Miroku. His comment spiked everyone's interest in my Career List, with pretty much everyone waiting for an explanation. I decided to give it myself; otherwise, Miroku would mess with it.

"Well… in the beginning of the year, they had us take these tests that they said would give us an accurate answer as to what we would become. Sango's and Miroku's matched each of them perfectly, so I figured my choices probably fit me too, although it doesn't seem like it."

InuYasha suddenly spoke up, "Oh yeah! We took that test too. One of my choices was a mechanic; the other was a business owner, and the other a rock star. I don't think those are very accurate if you ask me, the three of them don't even match either."

Sango snorted. "Are you kidding? Miroku got gynecologist, nudist camp organizer and plastic surgeon."

Everyone started laughing as soon as Sango finished. Ah…I knew they were going to ask what I got, so I went right ahead and answered before they asked me.

"I got photographer, professional model, and a pop star."

InuYasha seemed to be digging up memories in his brain, since he stayed silent and didn't say anything until after a while.

"I thought you'd always wanted to be a neo-na-to-lo-gist."

I smiled faintly, because he remembered, and because he _still_ pronounced every syllable separately in neonatologist.

Kagura turned towards me and asked, "Why a neonatologist? Wouldn't it be sad to see all those sickly premature babies?"

"I've always wanted to be a neonatologist, at least since Sota was born. He was born prematurely, I know what's it's like, so I would like to help people who went through the same thing my parents went through."

I flinched at the looks I was getting. Okay, I said parents. Parent_s._ Big deal.

After being told by everyone, even Kikyo who seemed to have been on La-la land for a while, to ignore the Career List, I felt ultimately decided to continue my goal of being a neonatologist.

"You know, there is this really good program this summer at Tokyo University on pediatrics. Don't you first have to study as a pediatrician in order to become a neonatoloist? I think you can apply to it, since it's just an intro class to it, and they have it open for any High School students to apply, and the best thing is that it's free. All you need are grades high enough, but with your grades I'm sure they would even kick someone out of it so that you can get in."

"Seriously?" Wow. It's not always when you are offered with getting half a semester of a class off your shoulders during the summer _while_ you're still in High School _for free_.

"Yeah. I can't remember the number you're supposed to call to. I know I have it somewhere along with all my other papers, but not with me."

Darn. What were the chances of seeing Naraku after this? None. Nada. Nil. ZERO.

"If you give me your number, I can call you when I find it. It will definitely look great on your transcript, so I suggest you try it out."

"Okay." Searching through my tote back, I surprised everyone by retrieving a small ½ inch binder.

"Is that binder serving its purpose in your oversized bag?" I glared at Sango. _Now_ was not the time to be talking about my binder and it's secret contents.

I tore a piece of paper from one of the papers in the binder, scribbling my name with my phone number on it.

"Nice one Naraku. Now you have the number of an unusually smart and pretty girl."

I didn't have to hold a mirror to my face to know that Kagura's comment made me blush.

"Well, as long as Miss Kagome isn't taken, there's no problem with it, right?"

It could've been my imagination, but I could've sworn I heard a snapping noise coming from InuYasha's direction.

**Next Chapter: Neo-Life**

**A/N: According to my dictionary, Gelosie is the old French word from which 'jealousy' originated.**


	3. NeoLife

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha (even if I wish it upon a shooting star). InuYasha does not belong to me, Rumiko Takahashi rightfully owns InuYasha. InuYasha is under license by VIZ in the US, and Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, SUNRISE 2000 in Japan. _ Precious is by Yuna Ito, original Japanese lyrics by Kei Noguchi, translation by Jonathan Wu from the Cherry Blossom Garden._

**SORELY NERDY**

**Ch.3-Neo-Life**

Once again the conversations started, but I stayed quiet as I ate. The noodles were unexpectedly _very_ good. So good, I noticed, that InuYasha was about to finish his second bowl.

Just as I finished, my cell phone started ringing. I once again blushed as everyone turned to look at me.

"I told you she took the Career List very seriously. Her ring tone is a song by Morning Musume."

I quickly told Miroku that I just happened to like the song, no underlying motives.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kagome! This is Eri. I have a favor I have to ask of you."

"Uh, okay. What is it?"

"I'm having a lot of problems with the Chemistry homework. Actually, Ayumi and Yuka don't get it either. I was hoping you could give us a quick explanation."

"On Lesson 19?"

"Yeah. Are you busy? If you are, don't worry, we can wait until Sunday night if necessary."

I looked around the table and noticed that everyone went back to doing something as soon as my eyes landed on them.

"No, no. It's okay. Say, are you at your house?"

"No, we're at Yuka's."

"Okay, how about I go over. It'll be easier for you to understand that way."

"Are you sure you aren't busy? I hear a lot of noise."

"It's okay. I'll see you in about…10 minutes."

"Thank you so much Kagome, we'll be waiting."

I closed my cell phone and dropped it back in my tote bag. I looked to see if Kikyo was done yet. Almost. Sango and Miroku had been talking so much that they weren't even halfway done.

Crap.

Okay. I'm smart, I can think of another way to get Kikyo home, or bring her with me, and get to Yuka's house. Why in the world did I have to be such a Good Samaritan?

"Kikyo?"

"Hm?"

"I think we have to get going."

"What?"

"I have to go somewhere in 10 minutes."

"Okay…"

"That means you either come with me, or you get Sango and Miroku to take you home."

"What about you?"

"I'll take a bus."

I noticed Kikyo started biting her lip. That meant she was thinking. Miroku and Sango listened to us, them to seemingly thinking of what to do.

"I'll take you."

I turned to InuYasha and noticed he was standing up.

"Oh, no. It's okay."

"Come on, I said I'll take you. If you're going to explain something to someone, how long can it take? You can make anything seem as simple as adding one and one. I'll take you, bring you back and then you'll go back with Sango and Miroku once they stop talking and start eating."

I pondered on his proposal. I didn't want to cause any trouble, but he _was_ done already, and normally I don't take the bus…

"Alright, thanks."

We stood up from the table and walked outside. I had no idea what InuYasha's car looked like, so I stayed a step behind him. Walking behind him made me able to look at him without being looked _at_. His unusually silver colored hair now reached his waist, and it still looked as soft as ever. Unwillingly, my eyes started traveling down…

…No! Okay, I was not about to check out InuYasha!

I walked a bit faster and ended up next to him, asking him what his car looked like.

"You'll see."

I did see all right. His car was the brightest red I'd ever seen. A bright red _Mustang_.

I literally 'flopped' in after InuYasha opened the door for me. Damn, the car was just about inches above the ground.

"Where to?"

I gave him directions to Yuka's house as he exited the parking lot, silence filling the air. I waited for him to turn on the radio, or something. He didn't.

"Can I turn on the radio?"

He turned to look at me curiously as we stopped at a red light. Hey, just because I was nice enough to ask doesn't mean I deserve a curious stare.

He reached out and turned the radio on, stopping on a pop station after he searched through different stations.

'_That was Morning Musume's latest single. Now we have Precious, by Yuna Ito. Enjoy!'_

'_On the day I couldn't see_

_my heart I felt insecure_

_The meaning of loving somebody_

_it's something I decide myself_

_truth can be found in everything'_

Although I knew him putting it in that station was supposed to bother me, listening to Yuna Ito's 'Precious' calmed me down.

"I love that song." I moved to turn up the volume a little bit, singing along very quietly.

'_I promise you, I won't wander off anymore_

_I'll be strong...and prove myself to you_

_I won't run away, I'll turn around to face you_

_so I can see how you feel, to heart'_

He turned to look at me once we reached another stop, "I thought you only liked rock music."

"I never said that. Besides, I really like that song. I can relate to it."

'_I will believe_

_so the two of us can be together in love_

_In order for my wish to reach the sky_

_I will look for you, and pray for the two of us_

_A pair of thoughts, now they can come_

_together and from a whole_

_Your precious love'_

Oh. Oops. The noodles must've made me go delusional and crazy, because I could've sworn InuYasha got a weird look in his face, _and _I had not willingly just said what I think I did. 'I can relate to it'? Way to go, Kagome.

"Could you…could you sing a bit louder?"

What? I've never really had much confidence on my voice, but I'm sure it was the noodles that made me start singing a bit louder, as if it was only I in the car.

'_When pain or bitterness pulls us_

_apart, we can hold each other_

_We're no longer alone,_

_because everything is answered by true love_

_I will believe_

_so the two of us can be together in love_

_I'll hold your hand forever, don't let_

_go, let's make a promise, the two of us_

_A pair of thoughts, now they can come_

_together and from a whole_

_Just the two of us'_

Unless it was the noodles again, I saw InuYasha taping his fingers on the steering wheel along with the music. I wouldn't have thought he liked the song, or even knew it at all.

'_I believe that right now we can_

_strengthen this young and complacent love_

_There can be truth_

_A new beginning_

_I want to be one with you_

_I will believe_

_that we can come together_

_right now, right here, and love each other_

_So in order to light your light fill me_

_I hug you tightly'_

We reached the street Yuka lived in, but the car seemed to be moving slower, as the song reached its last verse.

'_I will believe_

_so the two of us can be together in love_

_In order for my wish to reach the sky_

_I will look for you, and pray for the two of us_

_A pair of thoughts, now they can come_

_together and from a whole_

_Your precious love'_

I turned towards InuYasha and tore away from my daze as he started clapping. We were parked outside Yuka's house as InuYasha said, "I'm sure you can audition to be part of Morning Musume now. _That_ or you can just go ahead and be a neo-na-to-lo-gist. Go ahead and go inside, I'll wait here."

I was too embarrassed to say anything, so I exited the car and knocked on Yuka's door, looking back to InuYasha as I waited for someone to answer.

He jokingly waved at me, grinning fully, showing off another one of his strange attributes, his long and abnormally sharp-looking canines.

I blushed and turned as the door opened.

"Kagome! We're so glad you could make it, come in."

I hurriedly walked inside, not daring to look back. Following Yuka to her room, I found Eri and Ayumi hunched over papers in a table that obviously didn't belong in the room but had been set up there.

I sat in the side of the table that was unoccupied, explaining the basics, then getting off to showing them how to work out the problem.

"You make it look so easy."

I let them work on the rest of the problems on themselves, since I knew from previous experience with Sango that just because they understood it when I worked with them it didn't mean they wouldn't have problems or questions afterwards.

While I helped Ayumi finish off her last problem, the door opened and Yuka's big brother came in. I remembered that as little kids, before I became good friends with Sango, Ayumi, Eri and I used to say one of us would eventually stay with him.

As far as I know, he now has a girlfriend. Eri has a boyfriend, and Ayumi and I aren't interested.

"Yuka, I told you that if you didn't want the poster to throw it away."

I tried to catch a glimpse of the poster he held in his hand, but I couldn't see it.

"I'm not going to throw it away, it's a perfectly good poster. Just give it back to Keiko."

"I'm not giving it back to her."

"Okay, whatever. Just leave it in my bed."

After putting the poster in Yuka's bed, Kei left. I glanced up to the poster and gasped.

"Is that Kanata Hongo?"

Yuka looked at me weirdly as she nodded.

"Yeah. Do you want it? You can have it, as payment."

"Seriously?"

She assured me she didn't want it, so after I was sure they understood everything, I left with a poster in my hand.

After I was in the car, InuYasha asked me about the poster.

"It's Kanata Hongo."

"Who?"

"You know, Kanata Hongo. To-be-18-year-old actor who played kid Sho in Moon Child, Ryoma in Prince of Tennis, Shin in Nana 2 and also appears in Yui's video for Tomorrow's Way. I think he-"

"I think I get the point, obsessive fan."

Oi. I'm not obsessed, I just like the actor.

I listened to the music that was now blaring from the radio as I realized he'd changed the station.

"So you _do_ like Lost Gate."

"I never said I didn't."

"Hm. So what do you think of their new single."

"It's catchy."

"I _know_. I almost accidentally answered 'Hana' to the teacher when she asked me a question, just because I had the song stuck in my head."

"That would have been an interesting thing to see. Kagome Higurashi, getting a question wrong, answering a thing _completely _wrong."

"Hey, I'm human too. I make mistakes."

"You do, but not as often as all of us."

"That's what _you_ think." No one, except maybe Kikyo, realized I'd made a big mistake. And as far as I am concerned, no one will ever know about it.

"It's that I _know_. When we were kids, why do you think everyone thought you were a robot, despite the fact that anime with robotic machines were a fad back then?"

"We were kids, we were all stupid."

"Not all of us, especially not you."

I could feel the anger rising in me. How had this turned into an argument? How many times would I have to defend myself, trying to make myself seem more human than what they all believed I was?

"I was stupid, especially back then."

"Oh please, name one idiotic thing you did back in Primary school."

The noodles I'd eaten gave me the courage to say what I'd kept in me for years. Or maybe it was just the fact that I knew my actions wouldn't hurt me afterwards.

"Never telling you that I liked you. I _was_ stupid, for not telling you and for even liking you. Why would InuYasha Takahashi, the most wanted little kid in school, even look at nerdy Kagome Higurashi again once after their stupid project was finished? For what else if not a good grade was I valuable for?"

At that moment, nothing mattered. Spilling my guts to him wouldn't matter, since I would never see him again. Telling him what I'd been keeping inside of me for 5 years would incidentally make me feel better, a huge load off my back.

"You _liked _me?"

I ignored him and turned my face to the window, were I noticed we were close to the restaurant. I could feel my face burning, and indication that I was blushing, and the buildings becoming blurrier as they passed, indicating that I was minutes away from crying.

I tried the old remedy my dad had showed me, I thought of happy things, funny things that would make the tears go away, or at least stop coming.

The only things that came to my mind were InuYasha's face as he grinned at me, his face as a little kid as he passed the news on to me of our perfect grade in the Legacy project.

As the car stopped in the parking lot to the restaurant, I took my bag and poster and reached to unlock the door. Before I could open it after unlocking it, InuYasha locked it again.

Without looking at him, I silently asked him, "Is there something you have to say?"

"I used to…no, I always liked you, too. At first I just figured I felt grateful towards you, but when I didn't see you again after Primary school, I kinda figured it was something else."

My head moved from its place against the glass of the window. The only thought running through my head being _'No way…'_

"Cliché or not, I dated most of the girls at my Secondary and High School, trying to get the feeling to go away, but it hasn't. Then I see you again, and the feeling becomes bigger than ever. But you know what? I don't think it's a simple childhood crush anymore."

I listened to what he said, afraid to look back to him. Afraid to find him staring at me, waiting for an answer. I can answer any question you throw at me, but apparently not the one InuYasha indirectly asked.

"I liked you, but…well I just don't know anymore. I'm confused."

I didn't have to look at him to know that he too was confused.

"But I think that if you, InuYasha Takahashi, can make me unable to answer a question, unable to think properly and render me helpless against something that should come easy to me…my own feelings, then the crush I had on you years ago is no longer a crush."

I smiled slightly as I added a single sentence to my declaration speech.

"If you can deal with the fact that I might be smarter than you, then you are the perfect guy for me."

I turned to look at him and was drawn in by the strong color of his eyes, by the way his lips curved upward into a smile. His hand moved to my face, cupping my cheek and drying the tears that had escaped the imprisonment of my eyes.

I closed my eyes slowly as his faced inched closer towards mine, anticipation welling inside me, feeling like the pathetic school girl that I was, waiting for her first kiss.

The moment his lips touched mine would forever be imprinted on my mind, the way he whispered my name, the softness of his lips against mine.

It was like the perfect ending to a fairy tale, at least until the knocking on the car window started.

As if we'd both been scalding hot, we pulled away from each other. Realizing what was happening, fully conscious that InuYasha had just kissed me and that we'd had an audience, I blushed once again, seeing Kikyo outside the car, standing closest to me outside.

I unlocked the car and stepped outside, seeing _everybody_ standing there.

Oh my good god. How embarrassing.

Miroku laughed and said, "I see the color of InuYasha's car is 'Kagome blush'."

Sesshomaru looked over to me, then InuYasha. The look on his face turned from confusion to realization. "It was her, right? The girl from Primary school?"

Kikyo walked to me and held my arm as she got a playful look on her face. "I thought you didn't like him anymore! Kagome, you lied!"

Kagura turned to Naraku and said, "I guess that phone number is just to tell her about the class now."

Naraku smiled, and held up the piece of paper, saying, "Well, this phone number will also serve as a connection to Kikyo, so it's not so worthless anymore."

Ah-ha. Now it was Kikyo's turn to blush.

Naraku and Kagura started walking away, but not before Naraku yelled out, "I guess I'll see you at Nerd Camp, Kagome! Later!"

That's true. Since every school took kids, which were usually the smartest ones starting the nickname of Nerd Camp, there was a possibility of seeing Naraku again.

But what about InuYasha?

Sesshomaru moved to the driver's side of InuYasha's car, making InuYasha walk towards the place where I was.

We didn't exchange phone numbers, or addresses. We knew where were we lived, and obtaining a phone number wasn't necessary. If we were supposed to meet again, then we would. If not, then it would just be left at that.

Sango and Kikyo pulled me away from the car, while InuYasha went into the car. As I walked away I realized I was missing something. I told Sango and Kikyo to go ahead as I went to retrieve my poster.

Sango, Kikyo and Miroku smiled, Sango saying, "She's just going back for a kiss."

With the intent of saving myself some embarrassment, I told them I was going back for the poster Yuka had given me.

When the car was in sight, I noticed InuYasha was waiting outside, my Kanata Hongo poster in hand.

As he held it out, I grabbed it, while he used that to his advantage and pulled me close for another kiss.

After pulling back for air, he said, "I could get you a bigger poster of me."

"Its okay," I held a hand up against my chest, "I have it all in here, no poster needed to remind me of how _wonderful_ you look."

InuYasha laughed as he let go of me.

Sesshomaru impatiently pressed on the horn, making me step back away from InuYasha.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later. Maybe in Nerd Camp."

I nodded, "Maybe. Bye."

I stepped away from him as he went into the car again. I walked back in the direction I'd come from, looking back to wave at him.

This was better than getting another perfect score. Better than knowing that Lost Gate was releasing a new single, better than anything that had ever happened to me.

So I hadn't seen him in years, but who would've guessed that what I thought was just a strong feeling of friendship towards InuYasha were really more than that.

Our Legacy project had finally been complete after 5 years.

His secret being the mutual crush he had for me.

It could even turn to being more than that. But I guess I'll have to wait until Nerd Camp.

**A/N: This was supposed to be a one shot. Can you tell I got carried away? I wanted to take a brake from my other stories, and do some self-therapy for my own good. In actuality, like Kagome (minus the being Japanese, having her friends, and the amazing InuYasha) I've always been smart. Now I don't seem like a smart person (I look more like the rebel…XD) but I really am. I had a crush on the school's popular kid, but after our first year of Middle School, he left to another school. Like in this story, I did see him once again (under different circumstances) but I'm now sure that I don't like him (Unlike InuYasha, he really was a jerk, and now I can't find the things that made me like him.) Now it's obvious he doesn't recognize me, even though we go to the same school. If he'd been as good looking as InuYasha (wink wink) I would've done something, but he got uglier with the years so…XD**

**Lost Gate is not a real band, I just made it up, Kanata Hongo really does exist, and he really does play the parts I listed (he looked so cute as kid Sho in Moon Child!) and Yuna Ito is real too (Precious is a beautiful song! Just as pretty much all of her other songs, even if she's only released one album so far)**

**OH…and if you are wondering…there might be a bit of a sequel to this…a bit longer but not a full 30-some or 20-some chapter fic. It'll probably be the one to break my S pattern…**


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